Caseley's Kane family (Chloe in the Know, 1993, etc.) returns in a series of vignettes about Dorothy's troubles. In poignant scenes, she copes with the realization that her parents make mistakes, and learns to deal with her feelings about a classmate who has died. There are also lighthearted and triumphant times: babysitting a neighbor's dog, helping her family during a blackout. The narrative is engaging, the characters well-developed, and the situations genuine. Caseley's tone and Dorothy's emotions are right on target, and the characters are refreshing in their humanity. This is a good look at life's ups and downs that is never morose—despite the somber title and the jacket painting, in which Dorothy appears to be coping with a terminal illness. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-688-13422-X
Page Count: 102
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1997
Sophisticated dinosaur enthusiasts will enjoy this journey back in time to when ``We can hear the wind in the ancient forests, feel the warmth of the sun, and sniff the salt air of a vanished sea that covered what is now the Great Plains.'' The time-traveler reader can observe a giant crocodile Albertosaurus dozing in the sun, watch newly hatched Maiasaura scramble for the food their mother brings, and sigh when a meat-eating Troodon snatches up a small Orodromeus. As illustration, Henderson has created 26 believable, full-color scenes, authentic reconstructions based on fossil records. Prior knowledge is essential for full enjoyment: there is no time line, scientific names are not included, scale is not provided—readers must look elsewhere for ``the rest of the story.'' Still, evocative and appealing. Index. (Nonfiction. 8-12+)
Pub Date: April 30, 1991
ISBN: 0-02-754521-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
The author of Coconut Kind of Day (1990) returns to the Caribbean to present a series of six vignettes featuring traditional folklore. The storyteller is Tantie, a great-aunt who is larger-than-life to narrator Amber and her cousins. Tantie has a tale for every occasion: one about the witch-like soucouyant for a picnic; one featuring Ligahoo, a powerful shape-changer, for the rainy season; or one about graveyard jumbies to explain the absence of neighbors. The most affecting narratives are the title story, concerning Tantie's lost love, and another about her encounter with papa Bois, a beloved figure in Trinidad. Less formal folktales than flavorful slices of life, all shaped into a continuous narrative uniting the family with stories. An afterword tells more about the legends. Pinkney's skillfully evocative b&w scratchboard illustrations nicely match the spirit of the text. An entertaining introduction to a relatively unfamiliar folk tradition. Glossary. (Fiction/Folklore. 8-12)
Pub Date: April 22, 1991
ISBN: 0-395-54432-7
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1991
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